| 单词 | to break down |
| 释义 | > as lemmasto break down to break down 1. transitive. [ < branch II.] To break (anything) so that its parts fall to the ground; to demolish, destroy, level with the ground. Also of things figurative. ΘΚΠ the world > existence and causation > creation > destruction > breaking or cracking > break [verb (transitive)] > break down, demolish, or ruin spillc950 fellOE to cast downc1230 destroy1297 to turn up?c1335 to throw down1340 to ding downc1380 to break downa1382 subverta1382 underturn1382 to take downc1384 falla1400 to make (a building, etc.) plain (with the earth)a1400 voida1400 brittenc1400 to burst downc1440 to pull downc1450 pluck1481 tumble1487 wreck1510 defacea1513 confound1523 raze1523 arase1530 to beat downc1540 ruinate1548 demolish1560 plane1562 to shovel down1563 race?1567 ruin1585 rape1597 unwall1598 to bluster down16.. raise1603 level1614 debolish1615 unbuilda1616 to make smooth work of1616 slight1640 to knock down1776 squabash1822 collapse1883 to turn over1897 mash1924 rubble1945 to take apart1978 a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(1)) (1850) Isa. v. 5 I shal breke down his wal. 1611 Bible (King James) Isa. v. 5 Breake downe the wall thereof. View more context for this quotation 1742 J. Wesley Wks. (1872) I. 353 They..brake down part of the house. 1876 J. H. Newman Hist. Sketches I. i. i. 9 They would be powerful to break down; helpless to build up. 1878 J. Morley Diderot II. 29 He will not, however, on that account break down the permanent safeguards. 2. [ < sense 7.] To break into small pieces; to crush; to decompose. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > wholeness > mutual relation of parts to whole > separation > separation or breaking up into constituent parts > separate into constituents [verb (transitive)] resolvea1398 analyse1606 untwist1611 refract1646 disband1695 decomposea1751 decompounda1751 to break up1751 disintegrate1794 to break down1859 dissociate1869 factor1958 1859 J. M. Jephson & L. Reeve Narr. Walking Tour Brittany iv. 42 With delicious light French roll broken down into it. 1883 Athenæum 29 Dec. 871/1 The molecule of arabic acid, C89H142O74, is broken down. 3. [ < senses 12, 13.] To crush or prostrate in strength, health, courage, etc. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > ability > inability > render unable [verb (transitive)] > crush or disable bruiseOE frush1488 to break down1853 1853 Arab. Nights (Rtldg.) 274 So much was he already broken down by affliction, sorrow and terror. 1873 J. Morley Rousseau I. 28 The character of Jean Jacques was absolutely broken down. 1885 Manch. Examiner 6 Sept. 5/4 He has been consistently anxious to break down the power in Egypt of the Turkish pashas. 4. intransitive (for reflexive). To fall broken or in ruins; to collapse, give way, fail utterly, prove of no avail; to give way, as the back sinews of a horse's leg (whence the technical use in 1831, 1864). Also of an engine, a machine, vehicle, or the like: to cease to function, esp. through the fracture or dislocation of a part. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > failure or lack of success > fail or be unsuccessful [verb (intransitive)] > go wrong > of equipment or machinery to go wrong1809 to break down1831 conk1917 poop1927 the world > health and disease > ill health > animal disease or disorder > disorders of horses > of horse: have disorder [verb (intransitive)] > of horses' legs: give way to break down1831 1831 W. Youatt Horse xiii. 246 A slight injury..is called a sprain of the back-sinews or tendons; and when it is more serious, the horse is said to have broken down. 1837 United Service Jrnl. May 112 One of her engines ‘broke-down’, as it is technically called. 1856 B. Brodie Psychol. Inq. (ed. 3) I. iii. 93 The mind may break down all at once under some sudden affliction. 1864 Ld. Palmerston in Daily Tel. 26 Aug. It often happens that a very good-looking horse breaks down. 1866 A. Trollope Belton Estate III. vii. 173 The task before her was..so difficult that she almost broke down in performing it. 1871 B. Jowett in tr. Plato Dialogues II. 156* If this definition of justice also breaks down, what other can be offered? 1880 J. McCarthy Hist. our Own Times III. xl. 223 His health almost suddenly broke down. 1904 R. Kipling Traffics & Discov. 314 They knew my car had broken down. 1958 Times 9 Sept. 4/6 Congestion that might be caused when a vehicle breaks down. 5. [ < sense 30.] To tone down, qualify. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > quantity > decrease or reduction in quantity, amount, or degree > reduce in quantity, amount, or degree [verb (transitive)] > tone down temperc1000 modifyc1385 softenc1410 tame?a1500 qualify1536 temperatea1540 extenuate1561 supple1609 dilute1665 palliate1665 weaken1683 subdue1723 lower1780 modulate1783 to shade away1817 to water down1832 to water down1836 sober1838 veil1843 to tone down1847 to break down1859 soothe1860 tone1884 to key down1891 soft-pedal1912 1859 T. J. Gullick & J. Timbs Painting 303 Breaking down the warm lights with colours of the opposite quality. 1882 Standard 9 Oct. 2/7 He had used ‘white’ sugar for ‘breaking down’ some gin. 1882 Printing Times Feb. 35 Another class of tones is formed by breaking down orange with its complementary colour blue. 6. transitive. To divide (logs) into timber (see quot. 1922). ΘΚΠ society > occupation and work > industry > building or constructing > constructing or working with wood > build or construct with wood [verb (transitive)] > board or plank > cut into planks to break down1878 1878 Technol. Dict. (ed. 3) II. 84/1 To break down timber,..débiter le bois..en planches, etc. 1883 M. P. Bale Saw-mills iii. 35 The band-sawing machine can..be used for breaking down heavy logs. 1922 R. C. Bryant Lumber 451 Break down, 1. To reduce large logs to a size which can be sawed on the main log saws in a sawmill. 2. To cut a log into cants. (P[acific] C[oast] F[orests].) 1927 J. F. Stewart Man. Forest Engin. & Extraction xiii. 171 The logs..are broken down to suitable sizes by this saw. 7. To analyse or classify (figures, statistics, etc.). Originally U.S. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > number > probability or statistics > collect or employ statistics [verb (transitive)] > analyse to break down1934 1934 Webster's New Internat. Dict. Eng. Lang. Break down,..to separate (an account or a budget) into its component parts or subdivisions. 1941 Amer. Speech 16 45 A vast amount of raw material has been broken down for classification. 1948 Hansard Commons CDXLVIII. 1663 The programme account..is not broken down as between the Home, Light, and Third Programmes. 8. To stop (something objectionable); to ‘give over’; esp. in break it down: stop it, ‘come off it’. Australian and New Zealand colloquial. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > ceasing > cease from (an action or operation) [verb (transitive)] aswikec975 linOE beleavec1175 forletc1175 i-swikec1175 restc1175 stutte?c1225 lina1300 blinc1314 to give overc1325 to do wayc1350 stintc1366 finisha1375 leavea1375 yleavec1380 to leave offa1382 refuse1389 ceasec1410 resigna1413 respite?a1439 relinquish1454 surcease1464 discontinue1474 unfill1486 supersede1499 desist1509 to have ado?1515 stop1525 to lay aside1530 stay1538 quata1614 to lay away1628 sist1635 quita1642 to throw up1645 to lay by1709 to come off1715 unbuckle1736 peter1753 to knock off1767 stash1794 estop1796 stow1806 cheese1811 to chuck itc1879 douse1887 nark1889 to stop off1891 stay1894 sling1902 can1906 to lay off1908 to pack in1934 to pack up1934 to turn in1938 to break down1941 to tie a can to (or on)1942 to jack in1948 to wrap it up1949 the world > action or operation > ceasing > cease activity [verb (intransitive)] > leave off! or stop it! to do waya1325 stay1601 go and eat coke1669 to leave off1785 whoa1838 drop it!1843 cut1859 turn it up1867 to come off ——1896 to chuck it1901 knock it off!1902 cut it out1903 nix1903 break it down1941 to shove it1941 leave it out!1969 1941 Coast to Coast 127 Ah, break it down, feller. Everybody knew you had her on the town. 1943 N.Z.E.F. Times (2nd N.Z. Expeditionary Force) 15 Mar. 6/5 Break down the swearing. 1945 L. Glassop We were Rats i. v. 35 ‘Break it down,’ I said, ‘nothing would interest me less.’ 1949 J. R. Cole It was so Late 13 ‘Break it down!’ Wood shouted from the telephone. ‘I can't hear a thing.’ < as lemmas |
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